Method of and means for making weatherproof nails



April 1942- R. B. DICKSON 2,281,028

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING WEATHERPROOF NAILS Filed March 2, 1940 nail made in accordance with: the improved Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND M WEATHERP EANS FOR MAKING ROOF NAILS Robert B. Dickson, Eyanston, Ill., assignor to Dickson Weatherproof Nail Company, Evanston, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application March 2, .1940, Serial No. 321,970 aolaims. (01. -156) This invention relates to improvements in method of and means for making weatherproof wherein the head: is enclosed in a cap of softer metal; with a part of the cap surrounding an adjacentportion of the shank. 0

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a method of producing a weatherproof nail of this kind which does not require the proa specially formed head on the nail j Also; itis an object of the invention to provide a method whereby the cap maybe applied to the or the shank near said head with cap material driven through sheet metal.

.Another object of the invention is to provide a. me hod I making nailsof this kind that insures umformity in the finished nails and by ,which method the operations may be performed rapidly so that cos-tvof production is relatively 1QW..

Afurther object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient means whereby the improved method may be carried out.

. T e'above mentioned objects of the invention,

well as others, together with. the several advantages thereof will more fully appear as the specification: proceeds.

. In the drawing:

.FigLlisa perspective view of a weatherproof method.

Fig. 2 is a: vertical sectional view through associated die members of one form of means for carrying out the improved method; and shows the saidudie members in their normal relative positions for supporting the nail in a position with the head of the nail spaced above the bottom on the: cavity in one die member and with a mass of: softer capmetalengaged upon the top surface of; thenailhead;

Fig. 3 is a view similar toFig. 2 and illustrates thatystep .of the method wherein. the mass of top wall or portion I 6 of the underside of the nail head to'form a partially completed cap thereon.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and illustrates that step of the method after the die members have been separated axially and whereby the inner marginal portion of the underside of the nail head and the adjacent portion of the shank have been uncovered. v

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig.4 and illustrates that step of the method wherein the partially as to surround the adjacent portion of the shank.

Referring now in detail to the weatherproof nail shown in Fig. 1 and produced by the improved method, the same comprises a conventional or stock wire nail I 0 and a weatherproof cap ll of a metal softer than that of the nail. Lead rounds that portion or neck of the shank adjacent the head.

The means shown in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive include a die member 2| having an axially disposed cavity 22 that opens through the top end of the die member; The cavity 22 is of a diameter someindicated at 23 and a part of said bottom is defined by an annular groove 24. The die member 2| is fixed in a support or holder 25. having upper and lower bore portions 26 and 21 respectively of different diameters and meeting as an annular shoulder 28. The upper bore portion 26 is of a diameter larger than lower bore portion 21 and snugly receives the die member 2| which engages at its bottom margin on said shoulder. The bottom 23 of said die member H has an axial bore 1 toward the bottom nail.

29 therein of a diameter smaller than that or the cavity.

The upper end of a relatively heavy thimble 30 is disposed in the support or holder 25 for a movement toward and away from the die member 2|. The thimble has lower and upper bore portions 3| and 32 respectively, the lower bore portion having a diameter greater than the upper bore portion which is the same as that of the bore portion 29 in the die member 2|. A ferrule or sleeve 33 is fixed in the bore portion 32 and said sleeve is of such length that when the top end of the thimble engages the bottom of the die member 2|, the top end of the ferrule projects a suitable distance above the bottom 23 of the die cavity to form a nail head engageable shoulder 34. The ferrule is secured in the top end of the thimble by'a set screw 35. If desired the shoulder 34 may be formed as an integral part of the thimble. However, as said shoulder is subject to wear, it is preferred that the same be made in the manner before described as this permits the replacement of the ferrule, when said shoulder is worn, instead of requiring the replacement of the entire thimble. The ferrule has an inside diameter or bore 33a which is somewhatlarger than the diameter of the nail shank it receives so as normally to leave a small annular clearance space between the nail shank and the ferrule. The inner upper end corner of the ferrule is rounded as best appears in Fig. 2.

In carrying out the method by means of the structure shown in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive the procedure is as follows: The shank |2 of a nail is inserted point first into the die cavity so as to pass through the ferrule 33 until the nail head |4 engages on the shoulder 34. Thereafter a mass of lead Hr (see Fig. 2) is placed upon the top of the nail head. A punch 36 is then caused to enter the cavity 22 from its open top end to engage the mass Hat. The punch is then forced 23 of the cavity 22, reforming the mass and causing displacement of a part thereof so as to flow around the periphery to engage the bottom 23 of the cavity and to fill up the groove 24. Furthermore, a part of said mass is displaced to flow inwardly and enclose the outer marginal portion of the underside l5 of the nail head and into substantial engagement with the outer surface of that top end part of the ferrule, above said bottom 23 Thus "a partially completed cap is formed about the nail head with the parts as arranged in Fig. 3.

A relative axial movement is then produced between the die member 2| and thimble 30 so that the top end of the ferrule 33 which forms the shoulder 34 is disposed substantially flush with the bottom 23. In this position of the parts which appears in Fig. 4, an annular space 3'! is formed about the shank near the head which uncovers the inner marginal portion of the underside of said nail head and the adjacent portion of the nail shank. The plunger caused to move further toward the bottom 23 of the cavity with a heavy displacing pressure which causes parts of the uncompleted cap to flow inwardly to form the bottom I!) of the cap. In this movement of cess metal flows space between the top end of the ferrule 33 and adjacent part of the nail shank |2 to form the collar 20. This produces the finished capped Thereafter the plunger from the cavity 22 and the capped nail is then 36 is then the punch, a part of the ex down in the top end of the 35 is withdrawn ejected from the cavity 22 by some means that engages the bottom portion of the shank. The finished capped nail appears in Fig. 1.

By the method and means described, it is possible to apply a cap to an ordinary wire nail and which cap completely covers the entire underside of the head of the nail as well as to surround that portion of the shank of the nail near its head. Therefore it is not necessary to employ a specially shouldered nail for producing a capped nail of this kind, as heretofore has been the practice.

While in describing the invention I have referred in detail to the steps of the method as well as to the sequence thereof along with structure whereby said method may be carried out, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of making a weatherproof nail which consists in disposing a, nail in operative position in the cavity of a die having a part extending upwardly from the bottom of said cavity to surround a part of the shank of the nail near its head and to engage the inner marginal part of the said head so as to support the nail in the die with its head disposed above said cavity bottom and to cover said'part of said head and said shank respectively, cap metal in said cavity so as to engage upon said head, applying a pressure to said mass so that it is deformed out of its original shape, and a part of said cap material is displaced over the top or the nail head about its periphery and then toward and into engagement with the botton of said cavity as well as into engagement with the outer marginal part of the underside of said head and into engagement with said part extending upwardly from the bottom of said cavity, moving said first mentioned part away from the head of the nail so as to uncover said inner marginal part of the underside of the nail head as well as the first mentioned part of the shank and whereby the nail is supported in the cavity by said partially completed cap, and then applying a further pressure to the partially completed cap to cause a displacement of a portion thereof inwardly toward the shank so as to cover the uncovered inner marginal part of the underside of the head and to surround the uncovered part of said shank.

2. Means for making weatherproof nails'embodying therein a die member having a cavity therein, means disposed axially of said die member for receiving the shank of a headed nail when the same is inserted into said cavity, said means carrying a portion that normally projects above the bottom of said cavity so as to be engaged by a part of the underside of the head of said nail so as tosupport the same in a position above the bottom of said cavity, said die member and said means being relatively movable axially so as to change the relative position between the top edge of said portion of said means and the bottom of said cavity.

3. Means for making weatherproof nails embodying therein a die member having a cavity therein, means disposed axially of said die member for receiving the shank of a headed nail when the same is inserted into said cavity, said means carrying a portion that normally projects above the bottom of the cavity so as to be engaged by a part of the underside of said head of the nail so as to support the same in a posiplacing a mass of softer providing a tion above the bottom of said cavity, said means being disposed for movement away from and toward the die member so tive position between the top edge of said portion of said means and the bottom of said die cavity.

4. Means for making weatherproof nails embodying therein a die member having a die cavity therein, means disposed axially of said die member for receiving the shank of a headed nail when the same is inserted into said cavity, means means and having an end that normally projects above the bottom of said die cavity to provide a top edge part adapted to be engaged by a part of the underside of the head of said nail so as to support the same in a position above the bottom of said cavity, said die member and said means being relatively movable axially so as to change the relative position between said top edge part and the bottom of said cavity.

as to change the relaferrule detachably secured to said a 5. Means for making weatherproof nails embodying therein a die member having a cavity therein, a support in whichsaid die member is fixed against at least axial movement, means in said support axially or said die member for receiving the shank of a headed nail when the same is inserted into said cavity, a ferrule detachably secured to said means and having an end that normally projects above the bottom of said die cavity to provide a top edge part adapted to be engaged by a part of the underside of the head of said nail so as to support the same in a position above the bottom of said cavity, said means being disposed in said support for movement away from and toward the die member so as to change the relative position between said top edge part and the bottom of said cavity.

ROBERT B. DICKSON. 

